Can opener



E. M. QUIMBY June 16, 1936.

CAN OPENER Original Filed July 19, 1933 Invenior Patented June 16, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application July 19, 1933, Serial No. 681,176 Renewed November 8, 1935 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a device for opening tin cans for canned goods and the like and especially to wire rips in which the opening device is adapted to be placed in position at the time the can is sealed and will thereby be held in an operative manner in the end cover of the can.

The invention together with its objects and advantages will be best understood from a study of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention.

It is to be understood at the outset that it is in no wise intended to restrict the invention to the precise details of construction, combination and arrangement of elements illustrated and described, other than may be necessary to meet the requirements of the prior art and scope of the appended claim.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan or end view of a can provided with my improved can opening means or ripping device.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the opener or ripping device.

Figure 3 is a sectional view through one form \of can illustrating the application of the invention thereto.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale illustrating the application of the wire to the end cover of the can and Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 illustrating a slightly modified form of the invention.

Referring more in detail to the drawing and particularly to Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, it will be seen that the can opener or wire rip is used in connection with metallic cans which comprise a body portion I provided with an end cover 2. in the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, the cover 2 is secured to the body of the can by means of the flange 3, and some distance inside this flap or flange the cover 2 is provided all around with a relatively narrow downward bulge or channel 4 between the inner wall of which and the wall of the can body I is inserted the wire rip. In this form of the invention the wire rip comprises a single strand of wire 5 herein disclosed as circular. At one end thereof the Wire 5 is anchored on cover 2 between the channel 4 and the flanges 3 as at 6. At the free end the wire 4 is passed upwardly through an aperture provided therefor in the top of the cover 2 as at 1 the aperture I being circumferentially spaced a slight distance from the anchored end 6 of the wire. The outer free end of the wire is connected in a well known manner as at 8 with a handle or finger member 9.

When it is desired to open the can the handle or ring 9 is grasped as by inserting a finger through the handle or ring 9 and the handle then pulled in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 1 until the cutting operation is completed all around.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 5 the end cover 2 of the can is of the type embodying a central depressed portion [0 about which on the inside of the cap the ripping wire 5' extends. In this connection it will be of course understood that one end of the wire 5' is anchored to the cap 2', as by soldering the wire to the cap, while the free end portion of the wire will extend through an opening in the top of the can .and be equipped with a handle, being in these elements of detail similar to the ripping wire shown in Figure 2. In this second form of the invention however the wire 5' is substantially wedge shaped in cross section to provide a sharp cutting edge II which is accommodated in a groove provided on the inside of the cap 2 and extending all around the depressed portion ID of the cap. By providing the groove for accommodating the edge ll of the wire the top of the cap is reduced in thickness thereby permitting the opening or unsealing of the can to be accomplished with but little effort, as the wire is adapted to readily cut through this weakened portion of the cover.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

In a can opener, the combination with the end cover of a can having a bulge pressed inwardly with respect to the can and materially spaced from the peripheral wall of the can, together with a shallow groove on the inside face of the can cover in close proximity to the bulge and ex- 4 tending all around the bulge, and a ripping wire snugly embracing the bulge and having one end extending through an opening provided therefor in the cover and handle means on said one end; said wire being substantially wedge shaped in cross section and presenting a flat face intimately contacting the bulge, and a cutting edge extending into said groove in intimate contact with the cover of the can; the angle between two faces of the wire being substantially a right angle, and the angle between each of said two faces and a third face of the wire being substantially an acute angle.

EDWIN MARK QUIMIBY. 

